1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrying device for carrying a member and moving it in a certain linear direction and another linear direction, e.g. perpendicular thereto and/or for rotating it. The device to which the present invention relates is called usually an X-Y stage. Such devices, what are capable of accurately operating at a high speed and with a fine movement, are used in semiconductor circuits manufacturing machines, such as projection mask aligners or electron beam patterning machines, and in semiconductor device manufacturing machines, such as wire bonders, and further in inspecting machines for materials, for the purpose of accurate positioning.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The X-Y stages are widely used in the abovementioned field. Particularly in the field of the semiconductor circuits manufacturing machines, the X-Y stage has movable portions made of a light alloy including Al, Ti or Mg to make itself lighter to meet the requirement for high speed movement. However, those light alloy materials have the drawbacks of less rigidity, deformation with temperature change, less abrasion resistance and less resistance to rusting.
To maintain the high precision of a fine X-Y stage is very difficult in view of the variation, with time, of metal materials.
In the field of the electron beam patterning machines which have come to be used in the semiconductor circuits manufacturing, the stages have to be of a non-magnetic material to allow the proper control of the electron beam, so that it is difficult to make them lighter. Further, the stages have to be operated in vacuum in some cases so that lubrication can be used only limitedly with the result of degrading the abrasion resistance.